Laserfiche WebLink
• Post underground and current surface mining operations have had little negative effect on <br />cliff nesting success especially for the Golden Eagle. <br />During the 1996 Permit renewal process the Division requested an up-to-date consideration <br />of the latest (August 21, 1996) USFWS list of federal threatened and endangered wildlife <br />species. In particular, the Southwestern willow flycatcher, the Mexican spotted owl, the <br />Mountain plover and the Boreal toad appeared as recently listed T&E species. Subsequent <br />discussions with local BLM officials confirmed that these species would not occur on the <br />Colowyo area. A copy of the BLM correspondence can be found in Exhibit ]0 -Vegetation <br />Information. <br />Impact of Minine Operations on Wildlife Resources Within the Permit Area <br />Initial wildlife studies beginning in 1974, indicated that prior to mining the following <br />conclusions could be made: (I) some browse species continually receive more use than <br />others; (2) use of browse is both a function of desirability and availability; (3) the general <br />condition of the browse remains poor overall but is steadily being improved by range <br />management practices; (4) carrying capacity is also below the potential for the site, but is <br />steadily increasing as habitat improvement areas accumulate; (5) poor range management <br />practices have occurred in the past; and (6) the study area is utilized on ayear-around basis, <br />depending on snow depth with highest use during spring and fall. <br />Before the startup of mining operations at Colowyo, the potential wildlife impacts predicted <br />in environmental work included the displacement of wildlife from large areas around mine <br />• sites; disruption of migration routes; disruption of calving and fawning area with untold <br />negative impacts on populations, habitats lost for long periods of time, etc. <br />Observations at Colowyo, and at several other mines in northwest Colorado over the last five <br />years, have shown that many of these potential impacts have not materialized. It has become <br />very evident that wildlife are a lot more adaptable than previously predicted in baseline <br />studies. Numerous healthy populations of <br /> <br />2.04.11-48 Revision Date: 8/29/97 <br />Revision No.: TR-42 <br />